Subject Verb..agreement

[ELC]

Do these sentences demonstrate sub-ject verb agreement and if so why ?
One pair of shoes cost four dollars.
How many times has she told you that same old story?

[MrPedantic]

Hello ELC

Welcome to Using English!

Would you like to try to answer first? Then we'll check your answer for you.

All the best,
MrP

[ELC]

One pair of shoes cost four dollars.

The subject of this sentence is separated by a prepositional phrase (of shoes). The subject being one if I am not correct and the verb would be cost not costs (costs would be plural right?). So, would that not make the subject and verb of this sentence in singular agreement, even though it is referring to a pair? Or would shoes refer to two (portions) and make this sentence a plural?


How many times has she told you that same old story?

She and you would be the subjects here and has and told would be the verbs. Has would be a singular verb but since there is more than one subject would that make them plural?

I am just pretty confused now going repeatedly over this again. I really would appreciate the help.

[ELC]

Wait

One pair of shoes cost four dollars. (it should be costs) which makes this sentence not in agreement...yes?

How many time has she read you that same old story?
Or

She has told you that same old story how many times?

( that one does have proper subject-verb agreement ..right?)

[MrPedantic]

Hello ELC

Yes, that's right: "One pair...costs" and "...has she told..." are correct.



MrP